


Not Okay (But Getting There)

by sperrywink



Category: Stargate Atlantis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-03-17
Updated: 2010-03-17
Packaged: 2017-10-08 01:55:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,306
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/71501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sperrywink/pseuds/sperrywink
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Companion story to <a href="http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/"><b>coreopsis</b></a>'s <a href="http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/1096745.html">Okay</a>: post-Siege, Bates wakes up, talks with Sheppard.  (Her's was Sheppard's POV, mine is Bates's. The dialogue between Bates and Sheppard is taken from <span class="u">Okay</span> and is <a href="http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/profile"><img/></a><a href="http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/"><b>coreopsis</b></a>'s.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Okay (But Getting There)

**Author's Note:**

> Beta'd by the wonderful [](http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/profile)[**coreopsis**](http://coreopsis.livejournal.com/). Thanks to her for letting me play in her sandbox. All errors and inadequacies are mine.

When he woke up, Bates knew he wasn't on Atlantis, he just didn't know why. Whether he had been evacuated because it was blown up or just removed to get him out of the way for other wounded personnel. He blinked away the crud in his eyes and turned his head from side to side, searching for familiar faces, just seeing the back of someone brunet in the next bunk over and a bunch of medical personnel to the other side, too far away to distinguish faces. The beeping machines changed rhythm and one of them broke apart and came towards him but it wasn't a face he recognized.

She said, "Well, hello there," as she began checking his vital signs and adjusting the tubes running into his arms.

Swallowing vainly, Bates said as loudly as he could, "Atlantis?" but didn't know if it was loud enough for her to hear him. It sounded faint and tinny to his ears.

Patting his arm, she responded, "All safe and sound. You have nothing to worry about except getting better, Sergeant."

He didn't fully believe her, it sounded like the casual reassurances all medical personnel gave to the sick, but he could feel the tiredness overtaking him again so he had no choice.

The second time Bates woke up, he felt more alert. Despite the lights being dim, he was able to recognize the inside of the SGC infirmary and to wonder about how he got there. Before he could signal someone that he was awake, another nurse showed up and smiled at him. "Awake are we? Let's just see how things are." The nurse checked levels on the bags hanging over his head and recorded some numbers from the machines hooked up to him.

Bates said, "Thirsty," and the nurse chuckled.

He said, "I bet you are. I'll bring some ice chips right over." As soon as he finished up, he suited action to words and Bates almost sighed in relief. He couldn't believe how dry his throat was.

He again said, "Atlantis," and watched closely for the response.

Without flinching or looking away, the nurse said, "Perfectly fine, I promise. With the help of the Daedalus they managed to repel the Wraith attack. They just evacuated all the sick and injured here for safety's sake."

Knowing what wasn't being said, he asked, "How many were lost?"

The nurse clucked at him and said, "Not many. You shouldn't worry about that now, Sergeant. You need to focus on getting better." He wouldn't say more than that and promised to sedate him if he got agitated, so Bates let it drop. Plus he wasn't an Atlantis or Daedalus personnel, he admitted as much. Bates couldn't be sure he'd know the names of who was lost, anyway. They wouldn't resonate with him the way the Atlantis names would with Bates. He knew how to bide his time.

He lay back down and before he realized it he was drifting back to sleep.

The third time Bates woke up, he felt wide awake and the infirmary was bustling with activity. Nobody noticed him at first and he tried to shift himself into a sitting position but his ribs ached so he gave that plan up for the moment. He did lift his head and look around again to check out the other beds in the infirmary. Most were empty, including the one that had held the brunet the other time he had woken up. Bates finally began to wonder just how long he had been in the infirmary. When he found out it had been over three weeks, he was stunned and shocked. He felt like the world had passed him by and left him for dead.

Again the nurses checked up on him and avoided his questions. He would have gotten frustrated, but Stackhouse came and saved the day. After admonishments to not agitate Bates, the nurses left them alone and Bates got to hear all about the siege and battle that followed. About losing Grodin in the satellite and Ford to the Wraith along with too many others. About the Athosians fighting alongside the Atlanteans. About the Wraith that had beamed down from the destroyed dart and been sabotaging Atlantis and biding its time before beating him up.

He was both glad and dismayed to have missed it. He would have liked to have proven his mettle to Sheppard and the rest of the Atlanteans, people he considered more than friends, but at the same time it sounded like his worse nightmare having the Wraith in Atlantis. He still woke hoarse from screaming remembering the Wraith ship and the feelings of dread that seemed to permeate his very soul just being around that many Wraith. He knew he would have to deal with his confrontation with the Wraith, but luckily those memories were still hazy to him.

By the time Stackhouse left, Bates was drained but had a lot to think about, particularly his treatment of the Athosians. He knew he was right to be cautious of them in the beginning and he was sort of right in Teyla attracting the Wraith with her necklace and to be leery of her connection to the Wraith, but he was wrong to continue painting them all with his suspicion. They had proven their worth more than he had in the last battle and that was something he understood implicitly.

Bates fell asleep, but knew when he woke up it had only been for an hour or so. He was glad, he was tired of his convalescence already. A nurse helped prop him up and he ate a light lunch with very little help and a lot of saccharine encouragement. He was definitely sick of being sick.

They had just cleared the lunch trays when Sheppard showed up. Bates felt relieved and like an Atlantean again seeing Sheppard's face. It made him feel less like the walking dead. Sheppard took a seat in the chair next to Bates bed that Stackhouse had used and shifted uncomfortably.

To put Sheppard at ease, Bates said, "Sir. Forgive me if I don't salute," He waved at his ribs and grimaced.

"No problem, Sergeant. How are you feeling?" Sheppard looked even more awkward if that was possible. They really didn't do personal questions.

"Like I got my ass kicked by a Wraith. But I'm alive." Sheppard looked knowingly back at him and nodded slightly. Bates guessed he was thinking of the ones he had lost as well. He had always been close to Ford.

"Yeah. Yeah, that's good." Sheppard stared at his hands and bit the inside of his bottom lip. "Listen, I...uh. You had some valid concerns."

Surprised, Bates was almost speechless. He never thought he would see the day he and Sheppard discussed this civilly. Finally he just said, "Yes, sir." Thinking of the Athosians fighting alongside the Atlanteans, he offered, "I only had the safety of the expedition in mind."

Sheppard slid one foot along the floor and hefted his hip to the side. His hands almost rose to accentuate his words, but then just tightened into fists on his thighs. "I know. But Teyla-. We were all just doing our best."

After his talk with Stackhouse and his incessant worry about Atlantis, finally able to see the truth in those words, Bates nodded. "We were."

Sheppard got to his feet and opened and closed his hands a few times before clutching them together behind his back. "You're going to be okay, Sergeant."

Wanting to believe it, Bates tried to put confidence into his voice as he answered, "That's what the doctors are telling me."

"We're okay, too." Sheppard froze except for his eyes which searched Bates face.

Bates smiled back softly. "Yes, sir. We're okay." This he did believe wholeheartedly.


End file.
